Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher got his man with last night’s announcement Bruce Boudreau will be the team’s new head coach.
Several days ago a knowledgeable NHL source warned that the Wild better sign him soon. “Others want him,” said the source who spoke anonymously. “He’s the best of the bunch (available coaches).”
The Wild had a vacancy after firing Mike Yeo this winter and replacing him with interim head coach John Torchetti. It’s been reported that Ottawa was interested in Boudreau so Fletcher had a sense of urgency with his new hire.
Boudreau, 61, was fired by the Ducks last month after winning four division titles in Anaheim. He did the same with the Capitals before taking over the Ducks. A former pro player and minor league coach, he is highly regarded. “He’s a very good coach,” the source said.
How good? The source said Boudreau can be ranked among the top “25 percent” of coaches in the NHL. He praised Boudreau for his communications skills with players and being “adept” at making changes.
Chemistry issues appeared to be a locker room problem last season for the Wild, but rather than working with a vastly different roster next season Boudreau probably will have to build cohesion with the players already here including Zach Parise and Ryan Suter who are locked in with expensive long-term contracts. Even with a new coach Fletcher is likely to retain final authority over personnel.
Extensive changes could be much more likely with the coaching staff. Boudreau could hire his own staff leaving the futures of longtime Wild employees Andrew Brunette, Darby Hendrickson and Bob Mason in doubt.
It’s believed Boudreau agreed to a four-year deal perhaps worth about $3 million per year. If so, that would make him among the better compensated coaches in the league and could represent a better deal than Fletcher initially offered. In addition to compensation, Fletcher likely pitched Boudreau on the potential of the Wild and the franchise’s loyal and supportive fan base.
Wild owner Craig Leipold has made his commitment to Fletcher clear despite the team’s inability to make a deep playoff run since the GM was hired in 2009. Sports Headliners’ source suggested, though, if the team starts poorly next season Fletcher will be on the spot.
Fletcher had previously hired three coaches during his era—Todd Richards, Mike Yeo and Torchetti. Yeo was dismissed in February when doubts prevailed about the team making the playoffs. Under Torchetti the club played well enough to just qualify for the postseason, but the inconsistency of play during 2015-2016 continued. The Wild lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Stars.
Fletcher has never hired a coach with the extensive resume of Boudreau who has a 409-192-80 (.659) record in nine seasons as an NHL head coach with the Capitals (2007-2011) and Ducks (2011-2016). He leads active NHL coaches in winning percentage.
Although Boudreau didn’t reach the conference finals with either the Capitals or Ducks, his coaching abilities weren’t unrecognized. He won the 2008 Jack Adams Award honoring the NHL Coach of the Year with the Capitals. He was a runner-up for the award coaching the Ducks in 2013.
Before joining the Capitals, he spent parts of nine seasons as a head coach in the American Hockey League. His Hershey team won the 2006 AHL title and advanced to the 2007 Calder Cup Final.
Boudreau played parts of eight NHL seasons (1976-86) with the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks, scoring 70 points in 141 career games. The native of Toronto, Ont., was originally selected by the Maple Leafs in the third round of the 1975 NHL Entry Draft. He was also selected in the first round of the 1974 World Hockey Association Draft by the Minnesota Fighting Saints and played in 30 games with the St. Paul-based team in 1975-76.